I don’t assume anybody is especially shocked that the New England Patriots misplaced to the 4San Francisco 49ers yesterday. The Niners had been heavy favorites and are legit Tremendous Bowl contenders this 12 months. And the sport may have been rather a lot worse for the Patriots general.
The one actual shock, for me a minimum of, is that I’m sitting right here at a little bit of a loss this morning. I watched the sport yesterday, I received on with the remainder of my Sunday, I slept fairly nicely, I awoke this morning, and I’m nonetheless unsure what to consider the Patriots general.
Properly, I do know what I feel. They stink, that’s what I feel. However do I’ve something to supply apart from that?
1. By way of any precise recreation evaluation, I actually don’t have all that a lot to say. We all know what this group is and what this group isn’t, and I don’t see any of that altering anytime quickly. So I suppose I’ll take just a few notes to level out the plain, then possibly take a step again and deal with in the present day’s Fan Notes as a discussion board for wholesome dialogue and debate in regards to the different Apparent Factor we’re all questioning.
First up, let’s get to the great things.
2. If the Patriots are going to ship a single participant to the Professional Bowl this 12 months, it’s going to be Bryce Baringer. He’s working away with Crew MVP for the second 12 months in a row.
3. Joey Slye has additionally discovered himself in the midst of a mini profession revival in New England, and I’m right here for it. With the ability to hammer it in from 50+ is totally essential while you’re on a group like New England, as a result of the chances of them moving into chip shot FG vary are fairly rattling slim.
4. If you’d like an instance of how clearly numbers that present up on a spreadsheet don’t even remotely translate into actuality, look no additional than the New England protection yesterday. You have a look at the ultimate rating and the 148 dashing yards surrendered and just one sack generated, and it’s simple to assume that the 49ers simply ran all of the Patriots. However that it was solely 30-13 is nothing in need of a miracle, and that’s on the protection.
5. There was clearly the pick-six, which takes one rating off the board. You even have one rating coming off of a 53-yard, completely thrown bomb to Deebo Samuel as an injury-ravaged Patriots secondary didn’t have a deep security in place. The opposite landing required George Kittle to one way or the other come down with the ball in the midst of three Patriots defenders and contort his physique mid-air to come back down in bounds on the third strive. Marcus Jones was in unimaginable protection on the 45-yard Jennings reception — that was only a nice throw and catch. Peppers picked one off ultimately zone to short-circuit a robust Niners drive and the protection simply stored it nearer than it ought to have been general.
6. There are for certain some points with the D, significantly edge comprise and a hopefully injury-dictated determination to have Jahlani Tavai within the again third of the sector in protection, however towards one of the crucial potent offenses within the league, Purdy and firm earned virtually each single yard that they received.
7. And as soon as once more, Christian Gonzalez simply takes whoever he’s masking and renders him an entire non-factor. Plainly each time the Patriots play press-man, good issues occur, and after they swap to a comfortable zone, they offer up chunk performs. I’d put Gonzo up towards any receiver on this league and really feel comfy leaving him on an island there.
8. I genuinely imagine that there are some extraordinarily proficient receivers on this group. We’ve seen what DeMario Douglas can do, and we will all see what Polk can and might be below some completely different circumstances- I nonetheless assume that sideline seize was a catch. However all the things that includes passing and catching the ball is kind of a wash this 12 months.
OK, sufficient of the back-patting. All the way down to the meat and potatoes of the suck.
9. This group’s solely actual offensive weapon has put the ball on the bottom a minimum of as soon as each single week. I understand how issues like that may get into your head, however in years previous Mondre can be on the bench till he received that straightened out.
10. And truthfully, Antonio Gibson has been an under-the-radar shiny spot for this offense. He’s runner, outlet receiver, and had the one huge play of the sport yesterday for the Patriots. In the event that they do resolve to bench Stevenson for a bit, I’m OK with Gibson taking the lead again function.
11. This group’s greatest offensive lineman left the sport with a shoulder damage and didn’t come again. Although if I came upon that David Andrews was faking it simply to get a break, I wouldn’t blame him.
12. I’d make a joke about how Nick Bosa and Demontrey Jacobs ought to by no means line up inside 10 yards of one another — however that’s type of what occurred yesterday anyway.
13. The one enjoyable and inventive offensive play we’ve seen all season received referred to as again resulting from a block within the again.
14. It’s going to sound loopy, however calibrating for general suckitude, it’s not like they’re taking part in horribly. This isn’t some proficient squad that may’t appear to place collectively an entire recreation or is susceptible to blow leads or can’t shut it out. It is a younger, inexperienced group with a particularly weak offensive line defending a QB with a really restricted ceiling. The receivers have potential, however it’s robust to make an affect when the quarterback takes six sacks per recreation and faces strain on virtually half of his dropbacks. The offensive product we noticed yesterday is true the place it needs to be, and it’s robust to get all that upset about it.
15. I actually don’t blame any of the gamers. Aside from Mondre’s fumbleitis, it’s not like I’m a person man on the group and pondering he might be doing extra or taking part in higher than he’s. It’s simply the top-down offensive downside that all of us noticed coming again in April, satisfied ourselves it wasn’t that dangerous after they beat Cincy, and now need to take care of the truth that it could be even worse than we may have imagined. But it surely’s not on anyone man.
16. Pats followers in 2023: Ah, crap, Vederian Lowe is beginning in the present day!
Pats followers in 2024: Ah, crap. Vederian Lowe is out in the present day!
17. The query, then, is what will we do from right here? Everyone knows what we’re going to be asking this week, and just about each week going ahead: when is it time to tug Brissett and begin Drake Maye?
18. I’ve been on document as saying that Week 5 makes loads of sense. The Dolphins are a large number with out Tua, and October begins a pleasant little house stand and a comparatively comfortable a part of the schedule.
However primarily based on what we’ve seen up to now, is beginning Maye the best way to go?
19. On one hand, this complete Brissett-run offense appears fairly pointless. It’s not going wherever or doing something. Any progress or expertise the younger guys are getting must be minimal at greatest, until “run half a route earlier than your quarterback will get sacked and you must return to the huddle” counts as significant recreation reps and a few added cardio.
20. By way of 4 video games, Brissett has accomplished 61 passes for 536 yards with two TDs and a decide. In case you blocked the sport out, Tommy B threw for 505 in Tremendous Bowl LII alone. He’s benched in virtually each different circumstance, and so long as he’s on the market, the entire group is simply treading water. So what do now we have to lose?
21. To reply that query, let’s play out an imaginary state of affairs.
“Comfortable sixteenth birthday, son! And congratulations on getting your driver’s license. I do know you’re wanting to get began in your cross-country street journey, so I purchased you a automobile. There are not any brakes, the precise flip sign doesn’t work, it’s good to fasten the seatbelt by tying it right into a knot, any person etched an image of a butt onto the rear window glass and you’ll’t see out the again, the rearview mirror is only a piece of tinfoil, and I’d advise you to tug over each 400 yards or so to re-inflate the entrance tires with the hand-pump within the trunk. Simply ensure that to not slam the trunk closed while you’re finished, that may trigger the transmission to drop out. Shut it very gently and fasten it with the latch I duct-taped on final evening. Name me while you get to LA!”
22. Would the birthday boy get some invaluable life and real-world driving expertise taking that jalopy on the freeway? Completely. Would he make the journey in a single piece? Maybe, if all the things goes precisely proper. Would you are feeling completely effective if that was your youngster pulling out of your driveway in a cloud of black exhaust? Hell no.
23. Which implies, then, that the one purpose Maye isn’t getting the beginning at this level is for security causes. The group has determined to throw Jacoby on the market to get mauled each week whereas defending their future. And there’s no method that Brissett can’t perceive that to a point. It must be robust understanding that the one purpose you will have your job is as a result of you possibly can take a beating.
24. Moreover, if David Andrews is out for an prolonged interval, the offensive line has, impossibly, simply gotten a lot worse. No matter heart is on the market — we’re 4 weeks into the season and I couldn’t title the Patriots linemen — isn’t the one which Maye must develop a rapport with. So I feel I’m now within the camp of leaving Maye on the bench a minimum of till Andrews comes again.
25. But when they resolve to begin Maye sooner somewhat than later, I’m all in. All indicators level to Jacoby being the man till he inevitably will get damage and Maye is compelled into beginning responsibility. However till he begins taking the majority of the beginning snaps in observe, that is and can stay Brissett’s group. The coaches have already roughly mentioned as a lot.
26. Are there actually some Patriots followers on the market saying that Mayo has to go? There can’t be, proper?
27. On a extra macro degree: the league actually, actually must do one thing in regards to the officiating. Not solely are there an absurd variety of flags flying round every at each recreation, however the calls are sometimes flat-out incorrect. It has been steadily getting worse with every passing season, and in 2024 video games have gotten fully unwatchable. Maybe one of many causes offensive manufacturing is down this 12 months is as a result of offenses by no means have any time to get right into a rhythm with each different play getting referred to as again on some nonsense. It must cease.
28. I might think about that it’s below the purview of general participant security, however I don’t see how making groups run much more performs due to phantom holds or face masks referred to as towards the incorrect group one way or the other makes issues safer.
29. Talking of participant security, I might have cherished to be within the assembly with whoever it was who determined that the brand new kickoff guidelines had been going to deliver the joy again to the play. I guess all of them left that assembly pondering that they’d all of it found out.
30. And to their credit score, it appeared to work through the preseason, throughout these few video games the place no one gave a crap and had been simply attempting issues out. However all now we have now are touchbacks and a bunch of particular teamers sprinting to the tip zone for no obvious purpose.
31. The brand new guidelines additionally imply that an offense solely wants like 35-40 yards to get into discipline purpose ranger coming off that inevitable touchback. It makes 4th quarter comebacks a bit much less spectacular.
32. Watching Jabrill Peppers have a good time his finish zone decide with what regarded like a very full diaper on his helmet was the one actual pleasure I took out of yesterday’s recreation.
What is going to October deliver for this group? Your guess is pretty much as good as mine. However I’m right here for it, no matter it’s.